//------------------------------//
// Unintended Consequences 
// Story: The Accident 
// by Gabriel LaVedier 
//------------------------------//

	The pets of the Element-bearers never thought that much about their escapade in Canterlot palace. It was just another of the weird whirlwind adventures they had been involved in, like the Spike-led comedy of errors into the Imperium. They took such things in stride, though enjoyed them while they were going on. To them, it was just another interesting story to think on as they went about their lives.
The issues came around the same time, somewhere around two weeks after the outing. Around that time both Winona and Opal began to experience a bit of lethargy, as well as strange mood swings and nausea. Both were often out eating grass in the morning, much to the worry of their owners.
“Oh girls, thank you for being here for us. This is a most worrisome time,” Rarity said. She was in the waiting room of the Ponyville veterinary clinic, with Fluttershy gingerly patting her back and slowly giving Opal comforting strokes. Strangely, Angel seemed to be going the same.
“It's the darndest thing. Winona ain't been doin' nothin' different but she's here same as Rarity's critter,” Applejack said, giving her dog a ruffle between the ears, having to carefully avoid Gummy, who was clinging to her tightly. Rainbow Dash gave Applejack a comforting squeeze.
“It's a bit unusual,” Twilight said. She was in the waiting room with Pinkie. “I checked a few of the books I had, and while zoonotic diseases are not uncommon I couldn't find any canine/feline diseases that match the symptoms. They may just have the same illness, but a mild one.”
“Oh... I do hope it is true. I could not bear the thought of Opal with a lingering disease,” Rarity fretted, lightly shivering against Fluttershy.
“Ya always been a healthy lil pup, Winona...” Applejack reached down to softly pet Winona's belly, which she found slightly distended. “At least ya can keep vittles down.”
Fluttershy softly pressed on Opal's belly, rubbing around the area lightly. “Oh my... Opal's belly is a little swollen. They may have a digestive issue. This could be resolved today,” she said, hopefully.
“Both of them... that's certainly something to tell the doctor,” Twilight said, motioning to the door.
“I guess you wanted to schedule both... Winona and Opalescence?” The Ponyville veterinarian was there with a clipboard in her hoof, looking up at the assembled mares. “Some generic symptoms?”
“Yes. It might have been connected with a recent short-distance trip that we took to Canterlot when they were exposed to a large number of unknown pets, either from Canterlot or other towns and villages in the vicinity...” Twilight said, slightly pushing ahead of the others.
“Twilight?” Pinkie said, gently, pulling her marefriend back slightly, “You're doing it again. Do I need to make you some saltwater taffy to keep your mouth full?”
“No... sorry girls,” Twilight said, blushing and giving an embarrassed smile.
“While she was a bit... forward, let us say, she was correct. My sweet little Opal has been experiencing this since just after the trip,” Rarity said.
“Yea, an' the same with Winona,” Applejack concurred.
“A bit unusual both have the same symptoms when they picked it up from other animals. I've seldom seen a case like that,” The vet said, peering at the two creatures.
“I suspect some kind of zoonosis, and I hope not a new... emergence...” Twilight grinned sheepishly again and tucked herself behind Pinkie.
“Miss Sparkle is quite correct about that possibility. But we will need to examine them,” The vet said, leading everyone into the examination room.
“Um, if it changes anything... Opalescence's belly is a little swollen. Maybe it's just her stomach...” Fluttershy timidly offered.
“Ah didn't think much of it, but Winona's belly is a bit big too. Might be nothin', might be everythin',” Applejack said.
“I see, I see...” The vet said, leading the mares and their pets into the examination room. “I have an idea... Please put the animals up on the table so I may try to confirm.”
Fluttershy carefully lifted Opal up onto the table, while both Applejack and Rainbow Dash lifted and placed Winona. “What do you think? Too much eating? It's why I keep to a special diet,” Dash commented.
“Well ain't that funny, sugarcube? Ah didn't know that 'special diets' said y'all was supposed ta eat cupcakes, ice cream an' baked apples,” Applejack said with a great deal of mirth, hugging her marefriend around the middle. “Wonder if them Wonderbolts are all luggin' round these kinda delcicious sides or a nice, big, juicy apple haunch...”
“H-hey!” Dash shivered in carnal delight, her annoyed look fighting with her desire to smile. “I just eat that for lots of energy. I need to load on carbs and sugar and... electrobrights or whatever it is. And ice cream is totally high in super pantyoxidants and stuff. Besides, you're the one that keeps barbecuing those baked apples and throwing on the cinnamon and ice cream! I think you want me fat so you can keep me on the farm.”
“Y'ain't much good ta me too heavy ta fly an' help out, sugarcube. But Princess Luna knows it ain't all bad ta pack some plush in the back forty,” Applejack said with a wink and a grin.
“Does 'back forty' mean 'the butt'? Because Twilight loves it that I stopped running around so much and got a little big mmm mmph mph mmmm mmmph!” Pinkie started talking but was cut off by Twilight's hoof.
“Now who needs saltwater taffy to keep her mouth full?” Twilight asked in a scolding tone, her cheeks burning with a heavy blush.
During all the couple flirting the vet had been busy palpating the bellies of the two animals. She had carefully been feeling her frogs over the swollen areas, brows knit together in concentration. “Ahh, I see... I know what's going on here.”
Rarity rushed up to the vet and practically pressed her face to the other mare's face. “Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me!”
The vet backed away, slightly creeped out by the outburst. She brought up a machine with a metal cone attached to a large screen. “This is a Thaumatic Aural Imaging machine. It turns mana traces into a visible image.”
“I've seen devices similar to these in hospitals for scanning non-osseous areas. They also get some use in examining some magical items as a general thaumatic engineering diagnostic tool,” Twilight said, looking the machine over with some professional interest.
“It's a smaller version of those you've likely seen Miss Sparkle, you don't need a large one for an office veterinary practice like this,” The vet noted, placing the cone over Opal's belly and turning on the machine. A whine of energy was followed by the screen lighting up and showing a spread of colored outlines and some slight movement in all the lines. “This is the inside of Opalescence. This thick area here,” the vet indicated a ring of color, “Is her uterus. These small shapes here are developing kittens. Now there are only four but a small litter is not unheard of. I'm a bit concerned because they look to be a bit more developed than they ought to be...”
“What?!” Rarity shot up straight and then fell backwards in a swoon, landing on her ever-faithful fainting couch.
“Oh my. Opalescence is... pregnant?” Fluttershy looked on the scene with some concern, fanning Rarity to try and wake her up.
“It would appear so. And if that is so...” The vet moved the cone to Winina's belly, showing a similar scene, including the band that was her uterus, and several moving shapes. “Winona is also pregnant, at around the right stage of development. But the... the fetal form is odd for a canine...” The vet twisted her head and peered closely at the screen.
“Winona! Y'all been doin' things ya ought not?” Applejack asked, affecting a scolding tone. “Ah raised ya better'n that!”
“Ladies...” The vet took in a long breath and looked seriously at the confused and concerned mares. “This is very unusual. It looks like a simple accidental pregnancy but... there are some questions, a few oddities. I'll need to do some additional tests and take some samples. I hope you don't have anywhere to be for a bit...”



Hours later, following the taking of samples, performing more mana scans and the writing of prenatal medication prescriptions, the mares had all gone to discuss the strange happening. They had left all the pets at Carousel Boutique, Tank and Owlowicious included. The animals seemed very calm and placid, until the mares left.
“Who was it?” Angel screamed at Opal, hopping around her with great thumps of his large hind feet, occasionally hitting the floor with his front paws. “Tell me Opal, who was it?!”
“I don't know what you're talking about! I have been absolutely faithful!” Opal pleaded, tears pouring from her eyes.
“Rat scat! That's a lie and you know it! Look at that belly!” Angel pointed to Opal's midsection, but he did not touch. “I know you cheated on me! I know! We can't... we did it every day since we started going out! We knew we couldn't have kittens no matter how much we wanted them! Well you got them now! I hope he was a good screw!”
“You cease speaking to me in that manner this instant, Angel!” Opal hissed, pupils narrowing, claws flexing out to scrape at the floor. “I have never been unfaithful! It was always a pipe dream before but now... I don't know how it happened! It has happened and I am with kittens! But I swear it was not through cuckoldry!”
“I don't believe you! How can I? We're a cat and a rabbit... we can't do it,” Angel's voice lost the rage, the tearful heaviness left behind. He sucked in a shuddering breath, his ears fallen, his eyes shut tight. “We can't... we can't...”
“Please don't cry...” Opal said softly, reaching out for Angel and having her paw slapped away. Anger crossed her face, but one look at him made it fade away again. “I wish I knew how this happened. It frightens me to think somehow... I was not faithful...”
Slightly away from Angel and Opal, Gummy and Winona were placidly looking across at each other. Winona had her ears down, her tail tucked and was on her back, looking into Gummy's inscrutable eyes. “P-please say something Gummy. Please. I'm scared.”
“I am glad that you finally had what you deserve,” Gummy said, with an emotionless voice. “I wish, I dearly wish you would have asked before, or told me so immediately after. I cannot say that I would have said no. Iit would have been right to say no. But I love you, and care more for your pleasure and happiness than for my own selfish heart.”
Winona whined loudly, tucking her tail more tightly, squirming on her back as she tearfully regarded Gummy. “No... no Gummy... please don't say things like that. Please don't say you don't believe me. I'm a good girl. You were my first and only. I could never be with anyone but you.”
“I want to believe. I want to think that you are as pure as castor sugar. I would have thought so just hours ago. I believe you love me, but I know you have needs... whatever you may say...” Gmmy said, trailing off and turning away.
“I know you think I need more. But all I need is you,” Winona quietly noted, rolling onto her belly and giving Gummy a soft lick under his snout. “We're a team, Gummy. You and me. That's how it's been forever, from the minute I saw you.”
“You and I, my darling dog, forever and a day,” Gummy said, a smile curling his snout. “There is still the matter of your... condition. This is a most delicate thing. Can you imagine when such a thing would have happened?”
“Well, I... I mean... the only time it could have happened was... ummm... when we...” Winona blushed deeply as she whispered, “Made puppies upside down.”
Gummy chuckled warmly and rubbed his snout over Winona's own. “A most quaint turn of phrase. I so love being involved with a country lass. But it would not have been so recent. I believe the veterinarian was correct and these states are connected to our trip to Canterlot.”
Opal turned her head to look at Gummy and Winona. Angel was clinging tightly to her, bawling, all of their passion turning from anger to sorrow. “I know it makes perfect sense but I don't know how! None of the cats came up to me, and I would have beaten them senseless had they tried.”
“And I would have kicked them in the twig and berries for good measure,” Angel added, sniffling lightly. “We've been going at it like before. I can tell you there weren't many times when she could have done it.”
“Quite a little conundrum,” Owlowicious hooted from his perch atop Tank's carapace, “You know each other to have perfect fidelity, through trust or... simply being continually intimate. The veterinarian's tests seem to be thorough, so far as I gleaned from the time taken. She should have some word for you.”
“Canterlot... that magic spell from Princess Celestia,” Tank said, looking down at himself. “But... I don't feel different.”
“The spell...” Opal looked down at her belly and prodded it. “But why would it happen? How?”
“It does seem unusual. But as a well-read bird I know that such a spell is used to combine different species. It would explain why we saw those whom we saw,” Owlowicious mused. “Perhaps it is sufficiently generic to work in this fashion. It may not be merely for a pony and a non-pony, to knit their genes together.”
The idea silenced all the creatures in the room, leaving them still and contemplative. Gummy smiled, and waved his tail. Angel looked at Opal's belly with a start. “I'm a... dad?” With that he fell backwards into a dead faint.